Those of you using Chrome will see a security message. This is simply notifying you that data into and out of GMG are not encrypted. Theoretically, that means that a hacker could intercept and read any message you post on this forum.

Why is this happening?Because my server does not have a SSL certificate and therefore cannot provide encryption.

Why don't I buy a SSL certificate?SSL certificates cost many hundreds of dollars per year.

Why is this not a concern?1. It is extremely unlikely that any significant hacker is at all interested in what we write on this forum2. You are posting a message for everyone to read anyway. Its a forum.3. Encryption is essential for e-commerce websites, where credit card details must be encrypted. GMG is not e-commerce.

Parsifal

Those of you using Chrome will see a security message. This is simply notifying you that data into and out of GMG are not encrypted. Theoretically, that means that a hacker could intercept and read any message you post on this forum.

Why is this happening?Because my server does not have a SSL certificate and therefore cannot provide encryption.

Why don't I buy a SSL certificate?SSL certificates cost many hundreds of dollars per year.

Why is this not a concern?1. It is extremely unlikely that any significant hacker is at all interested in what we write on this forum2. You are posting a message for everyone to read anyway. Its a forum.3. Encryption is essential for e-commerce websites, where credit card details must be encrypted. GMG is not e-commerce.

I hope this allays everyone's fears.

cheersRob

There is no possibility that information about our amazon accounts could be sniffed from an unencrypted GMG connection when we click through on an amazon link, which sends a royalty on our purchase to GMG?

There is no possibility that information about our amazon accounts could be sniffed from an unencrypted GMG connection when we click through on an amazon link, which sends a royalty on our purchase to GMG?

That is correct. All that /suffix does is tell Amazon that you arrived there from GMG. It doesn't tell them who you are or anything about you. That sort of information is solely based on Amazon's website when you check out.

There is no possibility that information about our amazon accounts could be sniffed from an unencrypted GMG connection when we click through on an amazon link, which sends a royalty on our purchase to GMG?

As Gurn said, the Amazon link has no information about you, only information that tells Amazon that you came to Amazon from GMG.

When you arrive at Amazon, you (and only you) may see information about you (such as items from your wish list), but only because you are signed in to Amazon on your machine only.

Thank you, Poju. I am afraid I am terribly unhip these days. I'm not entirely sure of grunge, and then grime comes along. All sounds frightfully dirty to me...

You are welcome. Grime is a lesser subgenre and there's nothing "unhip" to ignore it if you ask me.Grunge was a rock/punk -subgenre and very lame imo.

A person who listens to only acoustic/classical music is likely to find "urban" music such as Grime "frightfully dirty" as you put it, but it is a matter of getting used to it. Why get use to crappy music? Well, that's pointless of course, put there are much better genres and much better music to be discovered if one is willing to put out some effort. For me it was the other way around: I had listened to electronic dance music when I discovered classical music. I HAD TO get used to the sound of violin and other acoustical instruments but I did. I think it didn't take more than a month and the world of classical music suddenly was mine to explore!

Classical music is based heavily on harmony and harmonic progression while a lot of electronic modern urban dance music is based of rhythms. Harmony and rhythm is prosessed on the same place in our brain. Electronic music is often constructed of repeated loops (kind of what Philip Glass does) and it takes talent to keep things interesting with various tricks like sound effects and turning some sounds on and off. Electronic music is also about sound engineering, because the sounds can be "anything". One has to be a modern time Hector Berlioz to make tasty electronic music, but when done successfully, the result is euphoric and hypnotic in a way that I have never felt with classical music.

'...for weird people......' Speak for yourself!Actually my wife and daughter consider me very weird and my devotion to this site and formerly to an American online cat group as evidence of it.For goodness sake - what's wrong with discussing the virtues of Marco Polo versus Naxos CD cover designs for hours on end?

Vaccine Associated Sarcoma Group. Very rare and invariably fatal disease caused by annual inoculations for cats which I have subsequently discovered are, according to many, not necessary except when the cats are kittens. Vets will tell you otherwise. More common in USA as cats are inoculated against Rabies there. Hence more expertise in the USA on this matter. Our cat did not survive but the vaccine company coughed up £1000 for an operation - the only hope of saving our cat. All very sad but many years ago now. My current cat has had the kitten injection plus a booster but may not be having any more. Very friendly, kind and helpful group.

Logged

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).